Desk based assessment
A desk based assessment is primarily a study of readily available sources of information, such as old maps, aerial photographs, publications and information held in museums, archives and local historic environment records (HERs) concerning areas of proposed development and their immediate surroundings.
They can also include site walkovers as well as visual impact and setting studies. A desk based assessment is usually undertaken in order to support a planning application when it is submitted to show that the applicant is aware of and has considered archaeological issues